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Friday, August 12, 2016

Hello, everyone! Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Dragon Sphere by Abel Gallardo hosted by Lola's Blog Tours and I'm really excited to be a part of this tour! Down below is my review of the book as well as an interview with the author and -drum roll please- a GIVEAWAY!! Yay! I hope you guys enjoy the review and don't forget to check out the rest of the blog tour dates here!

So without further ado, here's the review! Don't forget to read the excerpt in case you're curious and want a sample.

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The Dragon Sphere by Abel Gallardo (Nation Of Dragons #1)

Rating: PG

Genre: Fantasy

Score: ❤❤❤❤

Page Count: 257

Book #1 in the Nation Of Dragons series

Publisher: Unknown

Published: July 20, 2016

Landon Brown, fifteen year old high school football star, is always on the top of his game. That is until he receives a visit from an uncle he’s never met with information about Landon’s father, who disappeared without a trace thirteen years before. Landon learns that the life he’s been living is a lie and that his true nature is powerful and dangerous. He’s half dragon and a threat to the delicate balance that has kept dragon society hidden from humans for hundreds of years.

Landon now must learn about his dragon heritage and train to control his incredible abilities with the help of the Elder Dragons, a bizarre trainer named Alpha, and other dragonoids like himself.

He quickly realizes that the mysterious world of dragons, spirits, and secret societies are not for the weak. Tasked with finding the Dragon Sphere, an ancient relic harboring a terrible power that could destroy the world, Landon recognizes that he just might be way in over his head. Will he be able to control his newfound power in time for the fight of his life?

Review:
PROS:
1. Not going to lie, I was sold when I saw the word dragons in the synopsis. If you know me well enough, you'll probably know how often I wish I had a pet dragon. I mean, I love my dog don't get me wrong, but I still want a dragon. Anyway, I thought the story sounded like it could be really interesting and cool so I'm so happy I got the chance to read it and review it for you guys. Let's get started!

2. I thought the characters were really fun without being immature. I thought Landon was a quick learner and he took a lot of the obstacles he faced in stride and had the help of his friends to help him solve a problem and look for a way out. I thought the same about his friends Aurora, Shade, and Xavier. Even though a couple of them weren't in the story for very long, I liked getting to know them even though I wished we could've seen more of them. Aurora was a tough girl who didn't like giving up on what she believed in even if it meant facing death head on as a risk. She was very driven and I liked that her and Landon were quick thinkers and even better fighters both physically and emotionally.

3. I loved the whole idea of the dragons and being half-dragons in training in order to fight a war that was never meant to be fought in the first place. The descriptions of the dragons and their transformations was just so neat and I could really picture in my head what they looked like. There were also other creatures such as the wyverns which I really liked. Along with the dragons, there was some elemental super powers mixed in with potions, awesome crafted swords, creatures from your nightmares, all amounting to one crazy adventure the characters have to travel on. Not to mention traveling with the pressure of saving the world. There were also some quirky elements thrown in that made some parts of the book a little bit lighthearted compared to the intense scenes of fighting dragons and evil beings.

4. The story was tons of fun and fast paced without skipping over anything and it also wasn't too info dumpy even when Landon and his friends start learning about the dragons they are descendants from and their dragon heritage. It was all really interesting, especially when we get a peek into the history of the things between certain dragons that led up to the precious dragon sphere getting stolen and a war set in motion by means of flashbacks and visions. There was also a mystery element as to who was helping out with starting the war on humans and who was really to trust as Landon's suspicions grow and he gathers more information as the story progresses.

Overall, I think this is just a very fun book and a fast one at that. It's really entertaining and I think if you love dragons as much as I do, you should consider picking this one up in the future! The reason why I didn't give this book a five-star rating is because even though it was fast paced for the most part and the history was really interesting without feeling like too much in one go, I did find myself getting a little lost with some of the history even when they were put into simple terms. Other than that, I really enjoyed this one.

“AAARRRGGGHHH!” screamed the wind demon, as he exploded the rocky sphere he was

trapped in. The demon was furiously gasping for air. I could see him now; his body was

covered in dirt and other debris. He was about six feet tall, with a muscular build, and he was

wearing… was that a toga?

“Where did you get the dress?” I mocked.

The demon howled in anger and swirled towards us. Aurora and I evaded his attack by rolling

away from each other. I got up quickly, sprinted towards him and punched him in his

midsection. Before I could get another punch in, he blasted me with a gust of wind that

knocked me on my back. But the dusty figure was holding his gut with his left hand and

wincing in pain. Aurora shot a blast of wind at him that pushed him face first to the ground.

Instinctively, I raised my right arm and willed a patch of earth below his face to rise up and

strike him.

The demon roared.

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About the Author:
Abel Gallardo was greatly influenced by Greek mythology, comic books, and the fantasy/mystery novels he had read as a child. Shortly after graduating with his Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, he began writing stories that reminded him of the adventures he cherished growing up. Abel Gallardo now lives with his wife and children in Albuquerque, NM.

Author Interview!1. What inspired you to create a character that is half dragon?A: Growing up, I always had this obsession about dragons. Dragons were always portrayed as powerful, mystical, and I always thought they just looked really awesome. There are plenty of books that give their take on the human element of many creatures such as: vampires, werewolves, and other shape-shifting beasts, but I didn’t find too many that incorporated dragons. So it played perfectly into my creative juices to portray the human condition through the eyes of someone in which dragon blood coursed through their veins. What kind of things would a person do if they had the raw power of a dragon?2. What character do you most identify with from your book?A: I’d have to say Landon, the main character. Other than having somewhat of a temper (I’m usually very calm…usually), I think Landon was written having much of the personality I had as a teen and still have. I’ve always had a very competitive spirit and I always thought I was better at certain things than I really was, but most importantly I always tried my hardest to be a good-natured, fun-loving guy. I wanted to make sure Landon had those qualities.3. What fantasy creature do you wish to be half of?A: Definitely dragon. A close second would be a phoenix.4. What are your favorite genres to write in?A: I’m a fantasy writer at heart. I love everything magical and mystical and creating and reading mythology of all sorts.5. Is The Dragon Sphere a stand alone or will there be more in a series?A: This is book one of the Nation of Dragons series. There is definitely more to come.6. What advice do you have for those writing fantasy or wanting to become authors?A: Don’t be scared! This is truly what holds people back from creating, finishing, or never pursuing the publishing process in any capacity. You have to truly be happy with your ideas and know that there will be someone out there who’ll be glad you put pen to paper (figure of speech of course, I used a laptop like most).

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Giveaway!

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of The Dragon Sphere. Two winners will each win a 10$ amazon gift card!

2 comments:

I always love dragons so this one also intrigues me! I'm glad the characters were interesting without being immature. I also really like the idea of the main character only being semi-dragon. That's always an interesting concept!